I told myself, after Twisted Sisters, that I would stop reading Jen Lancaster’s works of fiction. However, the completionist in me couldn’t leave well enough alone; when I saw that The Best of Enemies was available at my local library I figured it couldn’t hurt to borrow her latest work of fiction and if it was awful I’d at least have saved the $25.
So at least I’m not out $25.
The Best of Enemies is the story of three women: Sarabeth Chandler, Jacqueline Jordan and Kitty Carricoe. The story alternates between the perspectives of Jack and Kitty in both present day and the past, where the two women had a falling out in college. They’re mutual friendship with Sarabeth has had their paths occasionally crossing throughout the years, usually to disastrous results. When Sarabeth’s husband’s plane crashes and his body isn’t found, conveniently before an SEC investigation, Jack and Kitty put aside their differences in order to keep their friend from further heartbreak.
My chief complaint with most of Lancaster’s fiction is she writes vapid characters who get into increasingly unbelievable scenarios. I found it improbable that after almost two decades of ill will Jack and Kitty could so easily come together and become Grade A sleuths. Everything was so easy for them and the ending was equally ridiculous.
